If you’ve ever partaken of that first steamy bite from a bowl of broth and briny mollusks, this glorious film is that moment’s cinematic equivalent. Over the course of seventy-three minutes, we meet an array of men and women who devote their lives, and livelihoods, to the Zeeland mussel. A breeder prepares an intricate system for efficient procreation. A fisherman harvests beds of mussels to sell at market. A chef delicately demonstrates his specialized preparation. A pair of friends shuck the shellfish in the surf. There’s even a mussel princess, not to mention a doctor who uses mussels’ natural glue to save the lives of unborn babies. Along with these often surprising professions of admiration, the film delivers magnificent underwater close-ups of the shellfish in their element. Whether one leaves this love letter to the Zeeland mussel with outsized cravings or a vow to never devour such magnificent creatures again will ultimately be a matter of personal taste. Regardless, the mussel’s seductive allure, as evident here, is undeniable.  ST